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Lord, please let me see.

Today’s reading (Luke 18, 35-43) is the familiar tale of the blind man by the side of the road who heard that Jesus was passing by, so he began calling him, asking Jesus to take pity on him. Other people tried to quiet him down, but he kept calling. Finally, Jesus stopped and asked him what he wanted. His answer is our answer, “Lord, please let me see.” As we all know, Jesus told the man that his faith had saved him and his sight was restored. The man got up and followed Jesus, giving glory to God.

How many times have you sat by the side of the road and pleaded with Jesus for sight? I must do it at least once a week, often once a day. Sometimes, I beg for the ability to see God, or at least to feel His incredible presence. But lately, I have been spending a lot of time asking to see His plan for me. This morning, and many other mornings, I’ve felt like the blind beggar, sitting by the roadside with no idea where God wants me to go. If I get up and start walking, I just know that I’ll do a face plant on the first telephone pole I come to.

It’s not that I don’t know in a general way what He wants. Love thy neighbor? Check. Keep the commandments? Check. Go go church regularly? Check. Sell everything you have and give it to the poor? Che…ummmm… I’ll get back to you on that one.

No, the rules are pretty clear. What’s a challenge for me is perceiving my specific role in the plan. Should I quit my day job and work with starving children? Should I keep my job, but spend more time being supportive of my coworkers? I have this nagging sense that God wants me to do more, but I don’t know what it is.

The blind man knew what he wanted. He also knew that Jesus could give it to him. I wish I had that kind of clarity of purpose.